章節 1254: Discussion : Promises Kept
After watching the girl's train for a few hours, Vahn allowed Modred to ride on his shoulders as Sakura, Mash, Zoë, and Gareth followed along. There was even a large white lioness at the side with a lazy expression as it lumbered through the hallway. This was Mordred's Guardian, King, named so because, according to Mordred, "It doesn't matter if you are a boy or a girl. If you work hard, anyone can be a King...!"
Vahn couldn't really argue with her at the time, especially knowing her past, so her Guardian ended up with the name 'King', much to its apparent chagrin. Still, despite acting bored and lazy most of the time, it was just a big tsundere lioness that would always play with Mordred whenever the later pestered her. He had even found Mordred using King's body as a pillow on a few occasions as they bathed under the sun together.
After a short journey, Vahn ended up in a smaller recreation room filled with entertainment devices and more than a dozen idle Companions just lazing about. If you wanted to just relax and take a nap, there were plush bean-bag style chairs arranged at the side. The Companions would readily come to cuddle with you, their soft bodies and regulated body temperatures always bringing the maximum amount of comfort. Da Vinci had even started to make some breakthroughs, not in the Laws of Petting, but creating an energy field that helped calm people down.
Despite having reached their destination, Mordred continued to sit on his shoulders, her legs locked as she leaned against the top of his head. When he tried to remove her, she released a mischievous giggle before tightening her grip and musing, "I want to stay like this, shishishi~" After more than two years, Mordred had a good understanding of what she could and couldn't get away with when it came to her Chichiue. Her unique Innate, [Sage Emperor's Pampered Princess] wasn't just for show.
Vahn felt a little helpless with this mischievous daughter of his but, as he had decided not to change his treatment of her, he allowed her a lot of leniencies. Despite having some 'hidden intentions', he couldn't ignore the fact that Mordred made a sincere effort to hide her feelings. She always worked very hard and, compared to her past self, had made a tremendous amount of progress.
Given how Mordred prioritized hierarchies, almost to a fault, he expected she would never actually act on her feelings. Thus, much like how he had treated Mash in the past, Vahn chalked Mordred's feeling up to 'puppy love'. She didn't really have any males around her age to associate with, besides Alex, so it wasn't strange for her to imprint on the person she respected the most. Even in a reserved country like Japan, it wasn't rare for girls to have delusions of marrying their fathers when they were very young. It wasn't until they began to interact with others that they began to break free from this 'delusion', leading Vahn to once again believe it was for the best that his children have peers they can interact with.
It was for this purpose that Vahn had gathered together all of the children in the castle, including Alex, Juliet, and Ingrid. He had invited them to the room where they sometimes played together so that they would be able to relax and socialize after he left.
Once everyone had settled in, Vahn had all of the children seated in a semi-circle in front of him as he adopted a gentle smile and explained, "Soon, you will all have an important choice to make. Each of you has already started down the path you are most interested in...As an Emperor, I take great pride in seeing how far each of you has come in a relatively short period of time."
As Vahn spoke, he passed his eyes over everyone, earning smiles from the majority while Alex, ever obstinant, lowered his head with an embarrassed expression on his face. He had mellowed out a lot after apprenticing under Siegfried for such a long period of time but, as he was still very young, he had a long way to go before reaching the level of stoicism his mentor was known for.
Since there were no questions, Vahn gave a small nod before adding, "As I explained in the past, you are allowed to live your lives as you please. However, most of you have decided to make a place for yourself within the Empire. With this being the case, I believe it is necessary, at least for the moment, that each of you to learn how to interact with people you own age. It isn't wrong to be working hard towards your goals but, as children, it is equally important for you to enjoy your youth and make as many friends as possible."
Having missed out on his own childhood, Vahn felt it was wrong to deprive these children of the chance to pursue a different path. It was too easy for them to rationalize serving the Empire as, after what they experienced in the past, this place was 'everything' to them. In order for them to become more stable, as he wasn't exactly interested in cultivating zealots for the Empire, he figured it would be for the best that they have some social interaction with children around their age group.
With this in mind, Vahn allayed the growing concerns of everyone present by explaining, "In the near future, the Empire will likely come to an agreement with the Clock Tower. When the time comes, you will all have the opportunity to become students. Not only will this allow you to make friends, but it is also the fastest way for you to grow stronger. You also needn't worry that you will be bullied or mistreated as, prior to the agreement, I will discuss terms to make sure you are all safe from outside influence. Though it wouldn't be as safe as just staying in Avalon, I believe you have to be willing to face some form of adversity if you want to become truly strong."
In response to his words, Mordred began to snicker with an excited expression on her face before asking, "Does that mean I'll also be going to that school?" To this, Vahn gave a curt nod as, while it was 'optional' for the Designer Babies, it was 'required' for her. At this point, her Knight training was more of a formality than anything else so, in order to prepare her for the authority she would one day wield, Vahn wanted to see how Mordred interacted with her future subjects. She was actually very charismatic but, in order to mellow her out a bit, he intended to have her cultivate humility by interacting with people much weaker than herself where she was under a lot of pressure.
Contrary to his initial expectations, Mordred seemed enthusiastic about the idea of attending the Clock Tower. The only people who showed any real concern about the arrangement were Juliet and, for reasons he was already aware of, Sakura. She had actually been considering apprenticing under Galahad directly after her basic training was completed. This would make her his Esquire as, due to her status as Imperial Princess, she couldn't be his Page.
Vahn knew that Sakura's crush had only become stronger with the passage of time, to the point that Galahad had actually confided his own concerns when they were drinking together. While the quiet Knight had held out for a considerable amount of time, he had eventually been wrangled in by Vahn. They would now go out for a drink with Siegfried and Heracles every few days, primarily as a means to strengthen their bonds and discuss various matters in an informal way.
Knowing what was going through the minds of everyone present, Vahn kept a casual smile on his face as he clarified, "You will all be part of a special curriculum that is catered towards Advanced and Special students. After school each day, you will be allowed to return to Avalon at your leisure so you don't have to worry about staying inside the student dorms and being away for long periods of time. With this in mind, I hope you will all consider attending school as I believe it will be an opportunity for each of you to grow beyond your current selves."
Though his words didn't allay everyone's concerns, Sakura at least gained a determined glint in her eyes while Mash, having been sitting properly at the side, suddenly asked, "Will I also be allowed to attend the Clock Tower, Master? I fear that my age will make it...inconvenient...to become a student?"
As she was already behind in her training as a Knight, Mash felt that diverting her focus by attending the Clock Tower would interfere with her ongoing efforts to become stronger.
Hearing Mash's question, Vahn issued a light chuckle that caused the demure girl to flush with her head lowered. So that she didn't misunderstand, he performed a placating gesture with his left hand while answering, "As I stated previously, attending school at the Clock Tower is a way for you to grow much stronger in a short period of time. Your age isn't really a factor as some students continue their education well into their twenties. Also, so that there isn't any confusion, there is a good chance that Da Vinci, Merlin, and myself will be acting as your Professors and Advisor."
Compared to his previous words, Vahn's latest attestation caused the majority of people present to breathe a sigh of relief. They thought they would be at the mercy of complete strangers so, knowing that two of the most powerful people in the Empire would be looking after them was a considerable boon. There was also the fact that, while he might only be an Advisor, Vahn was their Emperor and, as far as they knew, the most powerful person in the entire world. In truth, he just wanted to explore the Spirit Tomb: Albion while making sure nobody messed with his children...
With the majority of their concerns addressed, everyone but Juliet and Alex decided to attend school at the Clock Tower. Since the latter two were still young, Vahn didn't try to pressure them as he knew they weren't exactly ready to interact with others just yet. Alex still hadn't stabilized completely and, after what she had experienced, it would take a long time for Juliet to fully recover. The fact she had even started studying to become a Maid in the past was already a major step forward for her. Thus, for the time being, Vahn would just let her continue being an adorable little Maid-in-Training while following her 'Mother' around like a puppy.
After their acceptance, Vahn began to discuss their special status and how they would have to act while attending school. It was important that they keep their status in mind but, so long as it wasn't an official matter, they also needed to treat other people with dignity and respect. He didn't want to see Mordred building a posse of people by making use of her high [Charisma] and status as Imperial Princess.
Though it was fine to make friends and scout talent, he didn't want to see her, or any of them for that matter, bossing other children around. While it was a very different case if the other party tried to use their own status to cause conflict, it was his policy to take the high road until they forced a more heavy-handed response. If anything, he wanted each of the children to experience how sad and despotic some of the other nobles were so they would know better than to pursue a similar path for themselves. While pride and status were important things, they weren't things you used against others to elevate yourself above them unless you were in direct contention with each other.
With their etiquette training provided by Artoria and Luvia, Vahn knew he wouldn't have to worry too much. Though the latter taught the principle that it was best to act openly and in a high profile manner, she never taught them to look down on others. Instead, Luvia's primary lessons discussed the importance of treating people fairly, albeit without compromising yourself on their behalf. If you wanted loyal and dedicated subordinates, they needed to know you had confidence in them, not feel that you treated them as your 'lessers'. Respect was something earned and, if you weren't willing to put in the effort to earn it, you didn't deserve it.
By the time the discussion had come to an end, nearly two hours had passed. Some of the children were beginning to struggle with staying focused, causing Vahn's expression to soften, even though he also had a wry smile on his face. He knew he could be long-winded so he ultimately decided to leave the matter until a later date. Now that they had made their decision, they had plenty of time to prepare since, even if they only had a week or two before starting school, that equated to several months within the Projection.
---
After leaving the children's' rec room, Vahn was feeling a little fatigued since, for various reasons, it was a rather stressful conversation. Since he had a few hours before having to summon Maxwell's Demon, he decided to make good on his earlier promise to Gareth. With this in mind, he made his way over the Menagerie to find Circe taking a nap while their daughter, Penelo, was resting in her chest. Vahn found Penelo to be one of the cutest babies he had ever seen as, with her tiny wings and inordinately beautiful features, he couldn't help but smile each time he saw her.
Circe awoke almost immediately after he entered the room and, seeing Gareth in tow, she didn't have to ask why he had stopped by. Instead, a smile naturally spread across her face as she rose from the bed and said, "I'll see if Iris can watch Nel. Don't start without me~" before alighting from the room with a bit of pep in her step. Vahn could only chuckle in response while Gareth, knowing what they were going to do, had already started breathing a little heavily in anticipation.
Knowing that Circe was very serious when she said not to start without her, despite her lackadaisical tone, Vahn decided to spend the remaining time teasing his adorable little Page. Without saying a single word, he vanished from his location before appearing right behind Gareth. She was stunned by his sudden disappearance but, when Vahn wrapped his arms around her waist and began to play-bite her dog-like ears, she began to squirm in his embrace without actually trying to free herself.
Eventually, due to how his Divinity amplified sexual tensions and heightened emotions, Gareth's face morphed into a 'pained' expression as she whimpered, "Maaaster..."
In response to her plea, Vahn stopped nibbling on her ear before holding her trembling body a little tighter as he asked, "You don't want to upset Circe, do you~? Behave..."
Gareth's awareness almost immediately returned after she heard what her Master said as, better than most, she knew how scary Circe could be if she felt spited. This caused her to puff out her cheeks as, with her body heating up, she was feeling very impatient. Fortunately, her Master showed her a bit of leniency by tilting her head and giving her a suitable method to distract herself until Circe finally returned.
Though Circe scrunched her nose after walking in on Vahn and Gareth kissing, she didn't press the matter since, while intimate, it wasn't really a sexual act. If he began making love to another woman before tending to her, especially in her own room, she would feel more than a little resentful. This was something she couldn't really suppress all that well, causing her to distance herself from others so that she didn't cause too much drama.
Knowing that Circe would get upset if he 'ignored' her, Vahn stopped kissing Gareth before lightly slapping her butt and saying, "Go get ready." in a casual tone. This caused Gareth to jump a little before the scampered over to the side of the bed and began peeling off her clothes. As for Vahn, he made his way over Circe, ignoring the subtle look of blame in her eyes as he placed his hands firmly on her backside without any hesitation. This caused her to inhale deeply but, before she could draw too much breath, he began to kiss her deeply while gently massaging her pert yet impossibly soft posterior.
As if her earlier frustration had been an illusion, Circe quickly fell into Vahn's tempo and, after a brief few minutes, she was breathing even heavier than Gareth. This left the latter sitting on the bed in nothing but a pair of white panties as she watched her Master and Circe continue to stand near the entrance of the room. Despite feeling strangely lonely, Gareth was very patient as part of her actually liked being made to wait. This allowed her to show off her obedience or, as Fenrir put it, displayed that she was a 'good girl'. Though some might be a little perturbed by the idea of being treated like a dog, Gareth was, admittedly, more than a little fond of the play...
Since he didn't want Gareth to develop an 'abandonment' fetish, Vahn didn't leave her alone for too long. Once Circe was adequately hyped up, he lifted her body in a princess carry without needing to part lips with her. This caused her to release a moan due to the unexpected position change but, as he prevented her from escaping, she could only remain on the defensive as he carried her over to the bed. Then, after laying her down, Vahn continued to lean over her as he unequipped his clothes and adorned his raiment in a single swift motion. This caused Circe to begin panting as she vainly attempted to break free from his tyrannical tongue but, before she was able to make any progress, an even more mischievous tongue began lapping at her lower mouth, courtesy of Gareth...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mordred's mischievous nature','There is a reason it is called being a Noble instead of being a Cunt xD...','Gareth is a good girl (UwU)...')
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章節 1255: Standing Upon the Precipice of a New Era
After a very refreshing tryst with Circe and Gareth, Vahn helped the two girls freshen up in the bath before escorting the former over to Iris' room. He spent a few minutes talking with Iris while holding his daughter, Penelo, in his arms. After that, Gareth accompanied him to the Workshop so they could pick up Da Vinci and Sophia before heading to the real world to visit the Welsh Dragon's chamber.
Vahn wasn't even surprised to find his daughter wearing a bipedal exoskeleton but, as it wouldn't function properly in the chamber, he made her leave it behind after promising to carry her the rest of the way. At this point, Sophia was close to twenty-two weeks old so, while still an infant, she was already able to speak without too much difficulty. Thus, while he carried her in his arm, she would continually pester him about various things she was interested in, a rather incredible sight if anyone from the outside world were to witness it.
With Sophia in his left arm and Da Vinci clinging to his right, Vahn passed through a large mirror that had been set up for group transfers between the Projection and the outside world. Artoria and Gray were already waiting for him while, at the side, Merlin was leaning against the wall with his staff in hand.
When Vahn appeared, Artoria and Gray immediately adorned cheerful yet elegant smiles, something he had grown accustomed to ever since obtaining his Divinity. In general, everyone in the castle was a lot happier than before, Vahn included, so it was a positive change.
After sharing a few polite words, Vahn led the group into the Welsh Dragon's chamber and, after handing Sophia over to Gray, he wasted no time in activating the summoning system. He was about to summon one of, if not the, most instrumental existences to ensuring the success of his Empire. It wasn't an exaggeration to make this claim as, once Maxwell's Demon reached the requisite level, it was theoretically possible to summon a limitless number of Heroic Spirits. In a way, it also gave him the power to resurrect the dead as, through the use of the Throne of Heroes, he could transplant the person in question just moments before their death, bringing them to the present.
Though Vahn fully expected 'something' to prevent him from using Maxwell's Demon in this manner, just the fact it could power CHALDEAS made it worth summoning. Vahn didn't plan to treat Maxwell like a battery without any rights but, so long as it wouldn't cause the peculiar Conceptual Entity any serious problems, he wanted to convince it to serve him. He didn't know what it would take to entice a Conceptual Entity but, as that was something he could discern after the summoning, Vahn quickly searched for Maxwell's Demon before confirming his selection.
As had been the case in each previous instance, Vahn immediately found himself back in the real world as the mana contained within the summoning system quickly took shape.
To Vahn's surprise, a gentlemanly-looking man with fair skin, a handsome face, and chestnut-brown hair that was neatly parted appeared. He was wearing an olive-green suit of relatively high-quality that looked like it had been produced in the early 1900s, complete with a flowery pocket square and a golden stopwatch neatly tucked away in his vest pocket. What stood out the most, however, were his eyes or, rather, his lack thereof...
For reasons Vahn could only guess at, there were black voids where the eyes of Maxwell's Demon should have been located. Despite this, he didn't seem to have any trouble seeing as, after fixing his black tie, he smiled before saying, "This is quite an unexpected occurrence. I never expected to exist at this point in time. Hey, mind telling me why you brought me here?"
Though Maxwell's Demon was behaving very casually, Vahn wasn't at all bothered by his words as, with what he intended to ask the man, it would be foolish to form any kind of animosity between them. Instead, Vahn adopted a similar smile before answering, "I won't lie to you. If possible, I would like you to become the catalyst to power this summoning circle while simultaneously providing your power to activate an extremely important system. I know it is a lot to ask, but it is important for the purposes of cementing the foundation of my Empire and setting the world on a new course..."
Before Vahn had even finished, Maxwell's Demon had adopted an 'as expected' look on his face as he ran his fingers through his hair and mused, "Sure. That shouldn't be a problem. Every time I make an appearance, it is always for a similar purpose. Some world leader or tyrant always tries to use my power to advance their agenda. I just hope the course you've decided upon is actually for the benefit of everyone, not just yourself."
Vahn felt a little awkward hearing the words of Maxwell's Demon but, as he believed in his cause, he didn't let them influence him too much. Instead, he kept a casual smile on his face as he asked, "So, what should I call you then? Maxwell?"
With a dismissive shrug, Maxwell's Demon, in an increasingly casual manner, simply stated, "Does it really matter? I don't really exist so you can call me Batteryman or Lord Electricity for all I care. I don't have any attachment to my name or my creator so address me however you like, Master."
Hearing Maxwell's words, Vahn released a light-hearted chuckle before saying, "You're an interesting character, Maxwell. Though you might not believe me when I say it, I'd like for us to become friends in the future. While it will make my burden lighter by having your power on my side, I will not force you to use it. My Empire isn't filled with incompetents so, if you give us enough time, we may not even need to rely on your power at all. Please, don't think that I intend to use you without treating you with dignity and respect. Even if you're a Conceptual Entity, I will treat you the same as any of my living friends and allies."
Though his expression didn't change, Maxwell tilted his head slightly in response to Vahn's words. His abyss-like eyes looked directly at him for several seconds before he ultimately gave a small nod and stated, "Well, it would be a nice change of pace if that were the case. It really doesn't matter to me how you want to use my power so you don't have to come up with any excuses to convince me to give you a hand. Still, its better than being strapped up and locked away in a room with a bunch of cables plugged into my body. I look forward to working with you."
Vahn nearly winced when he heard Maxwell mention having a bunch of cables plugged into him as, for a brief moment, it reminded him of his own past. Though he had gotten over the trauma at this point, it still allowed him to empathize with those who had similar experiences. Thus, even though it had been his intention from the get-go, he intended to befriend Maxwell and give the Conceptual Entity the freedom he deserved.
---
After a long discussion regarding the function of Maxwell's Noble Phantasm, chiefly moderated by Da Vinci, Vahn bestowed the title of Count upon the man before making a request to the Dwarves to build him a personal residence. He didn't want Maxwell to feel like he was just waiting to be used so, as often as possible, he wanted to let the man do whatever he wanted. So long as he followed the laws of the Empire, he was free to roam about the island and, though it would take a bit of time, he would also be able to freely roam the world later on.
Fortunately, Maxwell's Noble Phantasm, aptly named [Maxwell's Demon], worked just about the way they had expected. It took on the form of his actual heart which, much like Artoria and Siegfried, had a functionally limitless capacity for mana. The primary difference was, Artoria's heart provided her a seemingly infinite amount of mana, albeit with limited output. As for Maxwell, his heart had no such limit but, unless Magical Energy was stored within, it could not produce any mana of its own.
The most curious, and most important, aspect of [Maxwell's Demon] was, by continually channeling more Magical Energy into it, the maximum output was constantly increasing. Even if they only gave him a stable supply of 100 mana per day, his output would have been increased to 36,500 by the end of the year. This wasn't like a battery, however, as he would continually be able to output the same amount of mana, regardless of how much he expended.
As far as they could tell, the greatest restriction to [Maxwell's Demon] was that he couldn't use the energy for himself, nor could he feed it into a system that returned the magical energy back to him. He could only accept external energy and, should he try to make use of it himself, he would, quite literally, cease to exist. He also had a Skill called [Devil's Proof] which, much to Da Vinci's chagrin, meant that his Noble Phantasm would cease to function if anyone truly understood how it worked.
Since it was an abstract concept based on contradictions, any attempt to try and ascertain how it worked would ultimately invalidate the existence of the Noble Phantasm entirely. It was because of this that Maxwell didn't really care how Vahn referred to him as, if the latter was 'smart', he would never let others know he had been summoned. If his enemies put in the effort to try and 'prove' his existence and verify how his Noble Phantasm worked, it would simply stop working. Because of this, everyone that has ever summoned him always kept his existence a closely guarded secret, often by imprisoning or locking him away.
Despite this revelation, Vahn didn't change his treatment of Maxwell, saying confidently, "Your power is not absolutely necessary for the success of the Empire. If your Noble Phantasm stopped working, I would still treat you as a friend and allow you to live your life however you like."
While it was certainly convenient to have an infinite source of energy, there were actually a number of ways in which they could achieve the same result. Da Vinci had already made several important breakthroughs in the technology she had developed to convert Magical Energy into Divine Energy so it wouldn't set them back too much if Maxwell lost his power. He could already use the Throne of Heroes every two weeks, which was, admittedly, a little ridiculous. So complaining about not having infinite energy would be extremely petty of him.
Maxwell was largely dismissive of anything Vahn said as, from his perspective, he only existed to serve a very specific purpose. If he was treated well, that just made his job easier so he just went with the flow of things, just as he always had. This mainly involved him sitting in a chair for a few hours a day to absorb an ever-increasing amount of Magical Power, enough that he would be able to power the entire summoning system in as little as two months, Projection-time. With this equating to little more than a week in the outside world, it wouldn't be long before the Empire simply built too much momentum to be stopped.
Though it was possible to just brute force everything when they had indomitable power, Vahn still intended to keep his promise to Artoria. He didn't want to become a true tyrant so, as much as his enemies allowed, he would use dialogue and political maneuvering to build up his Empire. The first step towards this was winning the duel against Barthomeloi Lorelei so, in the final few days leading up to the climactic battle, Vahn spent the vast majority of his time helping Artoria polish her skills.
---
Ever since she became more 'proactive' in the bedroom, Vahn's relationship with Artoria had taken a strange turn as, for various reasons, she felt 'responsible' for everything that had happened. Because of this, she had become a lot more open about showing affection and, when they were alone, or at least with Gray, she was even a little 'perverted'. He liked to tease her by whispering this into her ear but, compared to her past self, Artoria made no effort to refute his words. Instead, she was often the one to come up with new and refreshing ways for them to spend time together, causing Vahn's heart to gradually soften.
In stark contrast to how she behaved when they were alone, the current Artoria had blazing silver eyes as she wielded, not her [Excalibur], but the Holy Spear, [Rhongomyniad]. She was unable to use its full power, as there were thirteen restraints placed on it, but it was still one of the most powerful weapons in the entire world. Vahn could feel his instincts screaming at him to flee as, regardless of whether or not he had the power of a God, it seemed hopeless to even try and confront the awe-inspiring spear.
When Vahn first saw [Rhongomyniad], he had been shaken to his core as, compared to any other weapon he had laid eyes upon, it was an indisputable masterpiece. It had an ivory white body that was obscured by thirteen bands that wrapped around it like metallic bandages. Towards the handle,
these bands formed a guard of sorts that spiraled in a crisscrossing helical pattern that gave it a strangely noble appearance. Though these bands obscured the true appearance of [Rhongomyniad], Vahn was still very impressed since even his [Enkidu] seemed to pale in comparison to the seemingly limitless Holy Energy radiating off of it...
Without giving him any time to admire the impossibly beautiful spear, Artoria had bent her legs ever so slightly before kicking off from the ground with enough force to rupture the hard white stone. In response to this, Vahn palmed forward with both hands, compressing the space between them with enough force to cause the void to fracture. Artoria, however, was completely undaunted by this and, with a look of absolute confidence in her silver eyes, time seemed to slow down as she shouted, "Let light be released from the Ends of the World. It shall split the heavens, and connect the land. Anchor of the Storm! Rhongomyniad~!"
For a brief moment, Vahn could see seven of the bands around [Rhongomyniad] loosen as a pillar of bluish-white light smashed into his body, far faster than light should be able to travel. It was a nigh-instantaneous, impossible to avoid, attack that seemed to ignore causality altogether to strike the opponent directly. If not for the fact he had other bodies, Vahn wouldn't have even known what had happened as, the moment Artoria released her attack, the vessel he had prepared to fight her had ceased to exist. He had even been holding on to an [Effigy of the Hero] but, as if it simply did not allow its attack to be undone, even that had been destroyed by [Rhongomyniad]'s holy light.
In the immediate aftermath of Artoria's attack, Vahn's main body collapsed to the ground as, for a brief moment, it felt like his existence itself had been erased. Fortunately, he had developed a bit of a resistance to this and, while his body had been destroyed in its entirety, there was a bit of ambient Source Energy left behind in the wake of the attack. If he put in an effort, Vahn knew he could reform his destroyed body but, as he had only created it for the purpose of the duel, he allowed it to slowly dissipate in order to further strengthen the Laws within the Training Orb.
By the time Vahn came to, he was staring up at Artoria as she used her lap to provide a pillow for him. It had taken him a few minutes to collect himself so she, Gray, and Gareth had been having a rather heated discussion about their nightly activities. Since this was something Artoria never would have mentioned in the past, Vahn couldn't help but smile when he realized what the topic they were discussing. This brought the attention of the girls to him, bringing an end to the conversation as Artoria asked, "Are you okay...?" with concern in her voice.
Vahn was tempted to tease her by asking if she had those same concerns before blasting his body away but, before the words could escape his lips, he began to laugh in a light-hearted manner. This caused Gray and Gareth to release a sigh of relief but, for a brief moment, Artoria puffed out her cheeks before lightly poking Vahn's. As a result, Vahn adopted a slightly apologetic expression but, rather than voice an unnecessary apology, he returned the smile to Artoria's face by saying, "You are really amazing. I almost feel bad for Lorelei...hahaha..."
Though she had a smile on her face, Artoria had a serious look in her eyes as she confidently stated, "Those like Lorelei are undeserving of our empathy. They have done nothing deserving of our mercy so, in order to create the world you have envisioned, I will not hesitate to strike her down. I may be your Empress, but I am also your Knight...it is my duty..."
Toward the end of her words, Artoria began to flush slightly as, while she started off strong, Vahn's smile had become progressively more pronounced. By the time she had finished, he had reached his hand up to cup her cheek and, almost as if to spite her serious words, her heart began to beat much faster than normal as Vahn stated with equal severity, "I love you, Artoria. Thank you...for being the amazing woman you are..."
It hadn't been his intention but Vahn saw a flash of pink spread, not just across Artoria's eyes, but Gray's and Gareth's as well. This was the passive synchronicity his Divinity brought to him as, if there were multiple people nearby with similar emotions, they would simultaneously be heightened. In the bedroom, this was perhaps his most valuable skill as, much like when he used to benefit from Syr's presence, he could now emulate the effect on his own. Since he was a bit riled up after experiencing the 'nothingness' that followed Artoria's attack, Vahn decided to spend the rest of the evening just cutting loose...not that he had been spending them in any other way as of late.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Maxwell be like, "It is what it is, fam"','Holy Rhongomyniad, Batman!','RIP Self-Restraint')
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